


Good Things Come to an End

by highwayKing



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Character Death, Feels, I just had to write it, I'm Sorry, Inspired by Art, really sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 18:47:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5676700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/highwayKing/pseuds/highwayKing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stan wasn't a hero. He just did what was his duty.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good Things Come to an End

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by ohgoshdurnnit's super sad little comic posted on tumblr.  
> I'm not ashamed to admit that it hit me where it hurts and so this little thing was born and I was hiding it away for like a week before I finally got proof read it and actually get it posted.
> 
> First Gravity Falls fanfiction!
> 
> http://ohgoshdurnnit.tumblr.com/post/135038380053/this-is-my-first-real-gravity-falls-art-posted
> 
> (I hope the link works)

Stan never saw himself as the hero type, he lived too firmly rooted in reality to have delusional thoughts like that. He was a criminal and the entire Gravity Falls knew this. Heck everyone in America know about the fraud Stanley Pines and he wouldn’t even be surprised if his infamy carried over to the other continents as well. 

He was nothing like his brother the genius whose name he had taken in his most desperate time of need and believe me he was still feeling guilt for doing so.

But in the wake of the apocalypse and with a demonic triangle hunting them, wanting them dead Stan found out that once his past didn’t matter. All that was important that his family that he finally found – or more correctly came crashing in the front door of his home – and the little gang of survivors would make it through alive.

However, without a plan they had little chance to stand their ground against Bill Cipher and if they continued standing around idly would only get them found sooner or later and Stan feared how long the magic barrier around the Shack would not hold. Ford was needed here, but he was the captive of Bill, turned into a golden statue according to what Dipper said. Stan couldn’t help but to see the irony in that.

Stan looked over the ragged little team. Yeah, they have no chance and they knew this as well. They were afraid that this is the end.

That’s when Stan decided to abuse his newly found chief status to get his quickly made up simple plan in motion before anyone would come up with something suicidal. Not like his plan wasn’t dangerous in itself.

His plan was fairly simple: he would create a diversion, take up Bill and his goons’ attention while the others save Ford quickly – and _carefully_ \- use the copied third journal to turn him back and come up with something to take care of the triangle guy.

Stan’s idea was met with protests, but he dismissed them saying that he is the boss around here and what he says goes.

It turned out pretty well in his opinion. The minute Stan showed up in the entrance of the pyramid armed only with his baseball bat and his trusty pair of brass knuckles he was confident that he could buy enough time. He was surrounded by Bill’s henchmen and the triangle bastard right before him looking down at him in a way that Stan could guess he was smiling and spoke to him so condescending that it set Stan’s blood boiling and his bat swinging.

The first strike hurt the most. It threw him out the pyramid and he crashed hard into a pine tree breaking every branch on his way down. He couldn’t quiet recall what happened next but he must have gotten up at some point because now he was lying on concrete instead of grass and his bat was gone from his hand.

Above him, well, Stan didn’t really have the energy to tell what was exactly happening. He was too tired to pay closer attention. He faintly remembered things moving high in the sky and around him as well, and lights, yes some lights and sounds, shouts, although he could have sworn that his ears are clogged up with cotton for he heard little of it. The he remembered seeing faces, far away but he still could recognize them, people he knew and some his foggy mind couldn’t guess who it was. Well, he couldn’t know every single person in Gravity Falls now could he. But they sure knew him. Ha, what a funny thought.

It was harder to stay awake. Beside the numbness he felt a hot pain in his stomach. He tried to get up but he didn’t have enough energy anymore. Dear god, this hurt. His hands aren’t moving and sure his legs won’t either.

He wants to sleep. Yeah, that would be good.

He closes his eyes. But then there is someone beside him shaking him by the shoulder then moving him to lie in this someone’s arms held close to his chest. Stan could swear he heard his name called.

“Mr. Pines! Mr. Pines!” he was shouting, familiar but Stan could barely hear it. He was about to sleep, but curiosity got him to open his eyes again.

“Soos…?”

 

Soos always looked up at Stan Pines ever since he suddenly hired him on his birthday. He was pretty sure that if it wouldn’t have happened he would have been sulking all day about his father not coming again. Instead he got a job to do that he liked and for which he was grateful for.

Soos understood why people would dislike Mr. Pines since he was little. But he also was someone who could see more in people, including Mr. Pines as well.

So you could imagine how proud Soos felt on the inside when in the middle of the apocalypse he met his employer again as the leader of a small resistance. He trusted him, but still he was against Stan facing Bill alone even if he promised that it would be fine. But Stan put down his foot, silencing every protest, and Soos and Wendy knew more than anyone that that was final.

Now his heroism had its price.

When Soos saw Stan on the ground he immediately abandoned the battle and run to his aid. Stan lay on his back hands spread on both sides, grazes were littering his face, his clothing ragged and he was unmoving. Soos grabbed his shoulder and shook him then pulled him in his arms before he finally got an answer: the weak call of his name.

“Dude, you look pretty bad so don’t try to move,” helping people in the apocalypse paid off most of the time, but now Soos had no idea what he should do. “Don’t try to sleep either.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Stan lied.

First he had to figure out what was wrong with Stan. “Are you hurting somewhere, Mr. Pines? Please tell me,” he didn’t wait for an answer though. Soos started tapping Stan’s shoulder chest and watching for a reaction from the man. He didn’t get one until he reached his stomach. One light tap there earned him a painful groan from the man.

Stan grabbed his arm. “Don’t- don’t do that…”

“I’m sorry, dude, but someone has to see you, pronto.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Stan let go of his hand and waved weakly to dismiss him. “Later, not now… go back; help them, the kids-”

“I’m not leaving you alone,” Soos said firmly and help Stan a little closer when the man tried to push him away. Stan gives it up quick, which worried Soos. And the way he pushed him, so weak. He was never like this; Soos didn’t know what to do.

Stan groaned in pain.

Soos looked around for anything that could help or to provide some distraction. He noticed Stan’s fez on the ground in arms reach. The poor thing was beaten up and thorn, just like its owner.

“Mr. Pines, look. Your fez,” he picked it up and was about to place it back on its rightful place when Stan raised his hand.

“Nah, you take it.”

“Really?!” despite their situation Soos’ eyes shined up.

“Yeah, you deserve it. You looked after the kids while I wasn’t around,” Stan smiled a little weak smile, but that was more then what you could get out of him.

“Wow, thank you so much, Mr. Pines!” Soos put the fez on as proud as if it was a crown.

“But I want it back…” Stan gruffly added.

“Sure thing, dude,” Soos smiled, because that meant that he would still have a Mr. Pines to return it to and in that he was confident.

A loud shrieking sound and the lights of an explosion tore Soos attention from his companion back to the mess of a fight he had turned his back on. They were only mere feets from them, the other side of the plaza and things were looking crazy.

 

Having Soos around was a blessing and a curse at the same time. Stan wanted him to leave, to find Dipper and Mabel and protect them like he did so many times on the summer. But he didn’t want to remain alone. He asked him to tell him what was going on and Soos did, although he hardly could keep up with him. To his credit he tried at least to pay attention, but the urge to go to sleep was becoming more and more great.

He watched the sky, that strange red-orange sky with the yellow X on it and the other side swirling around like some alien concoction. From there it looked pretty.

A strange thought to have. But never mind, no one has to know.

Stan felt really tiered. Things must be catching up with him finally so it seems. He closed his eyes just for a bit. He will deal with the burning pain in his stomach when he woke up. Surely it would be there still, he won’t be missing out on much.

He fell asleep and the last thought that was on his mind was if he asked Soos to wake him up when they won. Did he forget that? He didn’t quite know.

 

Soos was speechless. They won, they had made it and alive as well. The sky was blue, such brilliant blue. And the sun! Oh he thought he would never see them again.

The rift closed and as it did so it sucked back everything with more force than a vacuum cleaner. Bill, the monsters the weird stuff, the bubbles, all gone. And those who turned to stone, who were changed, were back to normal. The crowd cheered and in the middle of the celebration where the two small kids who stopped it all. Dipper and Mabel were hoisted up on Manly Dan’s shoulder for everyone to see and Soos couldn’t be happier for them.

And he was sure Stan felt the same way.

“They did it,” he said relived. “The small dudes did it. Everything’s OK now, so…”

But something didn’t fit right. His companion was too quiet, not celebrating with them. But surely he had to hear it, right? “Mr. Pines?”

He looked down and Stan had his eyes closed.

“Mr. Pines?...” he asked again, voice shaking in a way he didn’t want it to. He shook the man lightly, no answer.

How could someone be so rigid and still? Soos knew why and it was breaking him on the inside.

He made a vow not so long ago. That when this is all over he was going to tell Stan how he felt about him, what role he had in his life, what he wanted him to be and what he already was to him in everything but name. And now he wanted nothing more than to call him, “Da-”

He couldn’t, he lost his courage. It would make it too real. It was already too painfully real. He had his chance, many, many chances.

Now Soos couldn’t do anything else but to hug the body close and bury his face in his shoulder. And who would blame him now when they turn around and see him crying his eyes out.                                

**Author's Note:**

> I wait your "how dare you!"'s in the comment section.
> 
> (Actually I pretty scared now)


End file.
